Composite yarns

ABSTRACT

Composite yarns including a cellulose-based filament are disclosed. The cellulose-based filament may be wrapped around a staple fiber core of the yarn or may be included in a core of the yarn and at least partially surrounded by a staple fiber sheath. Such composite yarns can combine the strength of the regenerated cellulose filament with the “feel” and other properties of the organic fiber. Textiles formed from the composite yarns and articles including the textiles are also disclosed.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 62/886,310, filed Aug. 13, 2019, titled” CompositeYarns” and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/022,175, filed May8, 2020, titled “Composite Yarns,” the disclosure of each of which ishereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD

The described embodiments relate generally to composite yarns andtextiles and articles including the composite yarns and textiles. Moreparticularly, the present embodiments relate to composite yarnsincluding a cellulose-based filament.

BACKGROUND

A composite yarn may combine a staple fiber component and a filamentcomponent. Some conventional composite yarns include filaments which aresynthetic in nature, such as nylon or an elastomer. In oneconfiguration, the staple fiber may form a core of the composite yarnand a conventional synthetic filament may be wrapped around the core. Inanother configuration, a conventional synthetic filament may form thecore of the composite yarn and the staple fiber may form a sheath aroundthe core.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure provides a composite yarn which combines acellulose-based filament with an organic and/or a recycled syntheticfiber. As examples, the cellulose-based filament may be wrapped around astaple fiber core of the yarn or may be included in a core of the yarnand at least partially surrounded by a staple fiber sheath. Thecomposite yarns disclosed herein can have a reduced environmental impactas compared to composite yarns including conventional syntheticfilaments. For example, cellulose-based filaments and organic fibers canbe obtained from renewable natural sources and can be biodegradable.Recycled synthetic fibers can help divert plastic from landfills andoceans and their production can be less energy intensive than productionof virgin synthetic fibers.

In some cases the composite yarn comprises a core including an organicfiber, a recycled synthetic fiber, or a combination thereof and acellulose-based filament at least partially surrounding the core. Thecellulose-based filament or a strand comprising multiple cellulose-basedfilaments may be wrapped around the core. In other cases, the cellulosebased filament and the organic fiber and/or recycled synthetic fiber aretwisted together. The cellulose-based filament may be a regeneratedcellulose filament, such as a lyocell filament. The organic fiber and/orthe recycled synthetic fiber is typically in staple form. Thesecomposite yarns can have higher strength than comparably sized yarnsspun solely from the staple fiber(s).

The organic fiber of the core may be a fiber of plant origin or a fiberof animal origin and is typically in staple form. For example, theorganic fiber may be a wool fiber or a cellulose-based fiber. Thecellulose-based fiber may include one or more of a regenerated cellulosefiber such as a lyocell staple fiber or a bast fiber such as a hempstaple fiber. The core may include more than one type of organic fiber.For example, the core may include a combination of a wool fiber and acellulose-based staple fiber or a combination of cellulose-based staplefibers. Further, the core may also include a synthetic fiber, such as arecycled synthetic fiber, alone or in combination with an organic fiber.The recycled synthetic fiber is typically in staple form and may be arecycled polyester fiber, a recycled nylon fiber, or the like.

In additional cases, the composite yarn comprises a core including atleast one cellulose-based filament and a sheath at least partiallysurrounding the core and including an organic fiber. The cellulose-basedfilament may be a regenerated cellulose filament, such as a lyocellfilament. The organic fiber of the core is typically in staple form. Thecomposite yarns disclosed herein can provide yarns with the appearanceand “feel” of the organic fiber but with higher strength than comparablysized yarns spun from the organic staple fiber.

The organic fiber may be a fiber of plant origin or a fiber of animalorigin. For example, the organic fiber may be a wool fiber or acellulose-based fiber. The sheath may include more than one type oforganic fiber. For example, the sheath may include a combination of awool fiber and a cellulose-based staple fiber. Further, the sheath maypredominantly include organic fibers but may also include a syntheticfiber.

In addition, the composite yarns disclosed herein can be used to makeknitted or woven textiles. These textiles can be used in variety ofarticles including clothing, footwear, and accessory articles. Forexample, a clothing article may include a textile having a knittedstructure, the textile including a composite yarn of the presentdisclosure. Clothing articles such as shirts, leggings, socks,undergarments, and the like can be produced from the finely knittextiles disclosed herein. These articles may have a reducedenvironmental impact as compared to conventional articles having ahigher synthetic content.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosure will be readily understood by the following detaileddescription in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein likereference numerals designate like elements.

FIG. 1 shows an example of composite yarn having a filament wrapped corestructure.

FIG. 2 shows an additional example of a composite yarn having a filamentwrapped core structure.

FIG. 3 schematically shows a composite yarn having a core-sheathstructure.

FIG. 4 shows a detail view of a region of the composite yarn of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 shows the composite yarn of FIG. 3, with a portion of the yarncut away to show the core.

FIG. 6 shows an additional example of a composite yarn having acore-sheath structure.

FIG. 7 shows an example of a shoe including a composite yarn.

FIG. 8 shows an example of a pair of leggings including a compositeyarn.

FIG. 9A shows a first example of a sock made, at least partially, from acomposite yarn.

FIG. 9B shows a second example of a sock made, at least partially, froma composite yarn.

The use of cross-hatching or shading in the accompanying figures isgenerally provided to clarify the boundaries between adjacent elementsand also to facilitate legibility of the figures. Accordingly, neitherthe presence nor the absence of cross-hatching or shading conveys orindicates any preference or requirement for particular materials,material properties, element proportions, element dimensions,commonalities of similarly illustrated elements, or any othercharacteristic, attribute, or property for any element illustrated inthe accompanying figures.

Additionally, it should be understood that the proportions anddimensions (either relative or absolute) of the various features andelements (and collections and groupings thereof) and the boundaries,separations, and positional relationships presented therebetween, areprovided in the accompanying figures merely to facilitate anunderstanding of the various embodiments described herein and,accordingly, may not necessarily be presented or illustrated to scale,and are not intended to indicate any preference or requirement for anillustrated embodiment to the exclusion of embodiments described withreference thereto.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to representative embodimentsillustrated in the accompanying drawings. It should be understood thatthe following descriptions are not intended to limit the embodiments toone preferred implementation. To the contrary, the described embodimentsare intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents ascan be included within the spirit and scope of the disclosure and asdefined by the appended claims.

The following disclosure relates to composite yarns including at leastone cellulose-based filament. The cellulose-based filament may bewrapped around a staple fiber core of the yarn or may be included in acore of the yarn and at least partially surrounded by a staple fibersheath. Recent advances have allowed production of cellulose-basedfilaments, such as lyocell filaments, having good mechanical properties.Composite yarns including renewably sourced cellulose-based filamentscan have a reduced environmental impact as compared to conventionalcomposite yarns having a staple fiber core wrapped with syntheticfilaments or having a core consisting of synthetic filaments.

In some cases, the composite yarn includes a cellulose-based filamentwrapped around a core including an organic fiber, a recycled syntheticfiber, or a combination thereof. The cellulose-based filament may be aregenerated cellulose filament, such as a lyocell filament. The organicfiber and the recycled synthetic fiber may be in staple form. When thecore includes an organic fiber, the composite yarn may include at least40%, 50%, 60%, or 70% and up to about 85% by weight of the organicfiber. In some cases, the composite yarn may include from about 40% toabout 60% by weight of the organic fiber. When the core includes arecycled synthetic fiber, the composite yarn may include 30% to 70% or40% to 60% by weight of the recycled synthetic fiber. In some cases, thecore may predominantly include one or more of an organic fiber or arecycled synthetic fiber, but may also include a virgin synthetic fiber.The composite yarn may include from about 15% to about 40% or from about40% to about 60% of the cellulose-based filament.

In some examples, the composite yarn includes a core including a woolfiber, a regenerated cellulose staple fiber, a bast fiber, a recycledsynthetic fiber, or a combination thereof and a lyocell filament wrappedaround the core. When the core includes a fine wool fiber, the fine woolfiber can contribute softness and moisture wicking properties to thecomposite yarn. A core including a moisture-wicking recycled syntheticfiber such as polyester may also contribute moisture wicking propertiesto the composite yarn. Bast and regenerated cellulose staple fibers canbe renewably sourced are also biodegradable. Therefore yarns includingthese fibers can have a reduced environmental impact as compared toyarns including fibers which are not renewably sourced and/orbiodegradable.

In additional cases, the composite yarn includes a cellulose-basedfilament twisted with a strand including an organic fiber, a recycledsynthetic fiber, or a combination thereof. When the strand includes anorganic fiber, the composite yarn may include at least 40%, 50%, 60%, or70% and up to about 85% by weight of the organic fiber. In some cases,the strand may include from about 40% to about 60% by weight of theorganic fiber. When the strand includes a recycled synthetic fiber, thecomposite yarn may include 30% to 70% or 40% to 60% by weight of therecycled synthetic fiber. The strand may be a staple fiber strand. Insome cases, the staple fiber strand may predominantly include one ormore of an organic fiber or a recycled synthetic fiber, but may alsoinclude a virgin synthetic fiber. The composite yarn may include fromabout 15% to about 40% or from about 40% to about 60% of thecellulose-based filament.

In some examples, the composite yarn includes a lyocell filament twistedwith a strand including any of a wool fiber, a bast fiber, a regeneratedcellulose staple fiber, a recycled synthetic fiber, or a combinationthereof. These composite yarns can have similar benefits to those inwhich the lyocell filament is wrapped around the core.

In further cases, a composite yarn has a core-sheath structure andincludes at least one cellulose-based filament in the core. Thecellulose-based filament may be a regenerated cellulose filament, suchas a lyocell filament. The sheath typically includes an organic fiber,such as a wool fiber and/or a cellulose-based fiber. The sheath may alsoinclude a synthetic fiber. The filament(s) of the core may provide atleast 2% and up to 5%, 10%, or 15% of the yarn while the fibers of thesheath may make up the remainder of the yarn.

Including an organic fiber in the sheath in combination with thecellulose-based filament of the core can give the composite yarn a highcontent of renewably sourced materials and a low environmental impact.When the sheath predominantly includes one or more organic fibers, thecomposite yarns can have the appearance and “feel” of the organicfiber(s) but have a higher strength than a comparably sized yarn spunfrom the organic fiber(s). For example, when the sheath includes a finewool fiber, the fine wool fiber can contribute softness and moisturewicking properties to the composite yarn. In some embodiments, thesheath may be wholly formed from organic fibers.

Textiles knitted or woven from these composite yarns can be incorporatedinto articles such as clothing, footwear, or accessory articles. Finelyknit textiles suitable for activewear and undergarments are alsoprovided by the disclosure herein.

These and other embodiments are discussed below with reference to FIGS.1 to 9B. However, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate thatthe detailed description given herein with respect to these figures isfor explanatory purposes only and should not be construed as limiting.

FIG. 1 shows an example of a composite yarn 100 having a filamentwrapped core structure. The composite yarn 100 includes multiplefilament fibers 118 wrapped around a core 115 including the fibers 112.The fibers 112 are typically staple fibers. The example of FIG. 1 is notlimiting and in some cases, a greater or a lesser number filament fibersmay be wrapped around the core 115.

As shown in FIG. 1, the filament fibers 118 need not completely coverthe core. The yarn 100 may also be described as having a wrappedstructure in which the filament fibers 118 and the fibers 112 of thecore 115 alternate at the surface of the yarn. Such a structure allowsthe fibers 112 of the core to contribute to the “feel” of the compositeyarn. A composite yarn having a filament wrapped core structure may beproduced by a process such as a siro-fil or embeddable and locatablespinning process.

In some cases, the composite yarn 100 may predominantly include thefibers 112 of the core 115. For example, the fibers of the core may makeup at least 50%, 60%, or 70% and up to about 85% by weight of thecomposite yarn. In additional cases, the fibers of the core may make upfrom 30% to 70% or 40% to 60% by weight of the composite yarn. Theamount of the filament fibers and the amount of the core fibers togethermay make up greater than 50%, at least 60%, at least 70%, at least 80%,at least 90%, at least 95%, or even up to 100% by weight of thecomposite yarn.

The yarn 100 may be characterized by a yarn number. The metric yarnnumber (Nm) is a measure of the number of meters per gram of the yarn.In some cases, the metric yarn number is from 25 to 100, from 25 to 75,from 25 to 50 or from 50 to 100 for a single strand. A standard methodtest method, such as an ASTM test method (e.g., ASTM D1059), may be usedto determine the yarn number of the yarns described herein.

In the example of FIG. 1, the filament fibers 118 define a filamentstrand 117. In some cases, the filament fibers 118 in the filamentstrand 117 may be twisted. When the filament fibers are relatively fineand have a relatively low linear density, the filament strand mayinclude from 10 to 100 filaments. When the filament fibers have a higherlinear density the filament strand may include fewer filaments. In somecases, a single filament may be wrapped around the core. One measure ofthe wrapping of the filament strand 117 around the core 115 is thenumber of turns per unit distance. In some cases, the number of turnsper meter is from 100 turns to 10,000 turns per meter.

In some cases, each of the filament fibers 118 is a regeneratedcellulose-based filament, also referred to herein as a regeneratedcellulose filament. Regenerated cellulose fibers and filaments include,but are not limited to, rayon, viscose, and lyocell fibers andfilaments. In some embodiments, the regenerated cellulose-based filamentis a lyocell filament. Lyocell filaments and fibers are produced usingthe lyocell process. The lyocell process can have reduced environmentalimpacts as compared to some other fiber production processes due to itsuse of renewable source materials, a non-toxic solvent, and a highefficiency of solvent recycling. The lyocell filament may have astrength approaching that of a synthetic filament such as polyester ornylon filament. For example, the lyocell filament may have a tensilestrength from 500 MPa to 800 MPa, from 600 MPa to 900 MPa, or from 600MPa to 700 MPa. The tensile strength of cellulose-based filaments may bedetermined using standard methods, such as ASTM methods.

The filament strand 117 may have a linear density from 25 dTex to 175dTex, from 25 dTex to 160 dTex, from 30 dTex to 75 dTex, or from 50 dTexto 160 dTex. The individual filaments 118, such as lyocell filaments,may have a linear density from 1 dTex to 10 dTex, from 1 dTex to 5 dTex,from 1 dTex to 3 dTex, from 5 dTex to 25 dTex, from 10 dTex to 30 dTex,or 10 dTex to 50 dTex. When each filament has a linear density fromabout 1 dTex to about 5 dTex, the filament strand may include from 25 to100 filaments. The filament strand may include a fewer number of fiberswhen each filament has a higher linear density. A standard method testmethod, such as an ASTM test method or an ISO test method (e.g., ISO1973:1995), may be used to determine the linear density of the fibers,strands, and yarns described herein.

In additional cases, the filament strand may include includes one ormore synthetic filaments. The synthetic filament may include at least aportion of recycled material. For example, when the synthetic filamentis a nylon filament, the nylon fiber may include at least a portion ofrecycled nylon.

In some embodiments, the core 115 includes a single type of fiber 112.For example, the core may comprise or consist essentially of an organicfiber or a recycled synthetic fiber. The organic fiber may be of animalorigin, such as from sheep, goats, silkworms, and the like. Fibers ofanimal origin include, but are not limited to, wool, cashmere, and silkfibers. The organic fibers may also be of plant origin, such as fromtrees (e.g., eucalyptus, beech), bamboo, cotton plants, flax plants, andthe like. Fibers of plant origin include, but are not limited to,cellulose-based fibers (also referred to as cellulosic fibers).Cellulose-based fibers include seed fibers such as cotton, bast fiberssuch as hemp or linen, and regenerated cellulose fibers such as rayonfibers. Regenerated cellulose fibers include, but are not limited to,viscose, modal, and lyocell fibers and can be made from wood pulp andother plant sources such as bamboo and hemp. The recycled syntheticfiber may be a recycled polyester staple fiber, a recycled nylon staplefiber, or the like. In some cases, the fibers 112 may be provided in astaple fiber strand, which may or may not be twisted.

In some cases, the core 115 includes a wool fiber. Fine wool fibers,such as fibers having a mean or an average diameter less than 24microns, less than 20 microns or even less than or equal to 17.5microns, may be used to provide a soft “handle” to the resultingtextile. The wool fiber may be a merino wool fiber. A test methodestablished by the International Wool Testing Organization (IWTO) or theAmerican Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) may be used todetermine the average diameter of wool fibers. IWTO standards includeIWTO-8-2011, IWTO-12-2012, and IWTO-47-2013. ASTM standards includeD3991, D6466, and D6500. For example, the wool fiber may make up from50% to 85%, from 60% to 85%, greater than 65% to 85%, or from 70% to 85%by weight of the composite yarn. The amount of the filament fiber andthe amount of the wool fiber together may make up greater than 50%, atleast 60%, at least 70%, at least 80%, at least 90%, at least 95%, oreven up to 100% by weight of the composite yarn. It is to be understoodthat reference in the present disclosure and claims to a type of fiberin the singular form (e.g., “a wool fiber”) typically includes referenceto one or more fibers of that type (e.g., multiple wool fibers).

In additional cases, the core 115 includes a cellulose-based fiber. Thecore may include one or more of a regenerated cellulose staple fiber ora bast staple fiber. As examples, the core may include a lyocell staplefiber, a hemp staple fiber, a linen/flax staple fiber, or a combinationof these. In some embodiments, the regenerated cellulose staple fiber ora bast staple fiber has a linear density from 1 dTex to 50 dTex, from 2dTex to 30 dTex, from 2 dTex to 20 dTex, from 1 dTex to 10 dTex, or from1 dTex to 5 dTex. The staple length may be from 20 mm to 40 mm or from25 mm to 50 mm.

In further cases, the core 115 includes a recycled synthetic polymerfiber also referred to herein simply as a recycled synthetic fiber. Therecycled synthetic fiber may be a recycled polyester fiber, a recyclednylon fiber, or the like. In some embodiments, the synthetic fiber has alinear density from 1 dTex to 5 dTex. In other embodiments, thesynthetic fiber may have a linear density less than or equal to 1 dTex,such from 0.1 dTex to 1 dTex, from 0.1 dTex to 0.5 dTex, from 0.1 dTexto 0.3 dTex, or from 0.3 dTex to less than 1 dTex.

The yarn may include from 30% to 70%, 40% to 60%, or greater than 50% to70% by weight of the synthetic fiber; and from 30% to 70%, 40% to about60%, or 30% to less than 50% by weight of the filament fiber. The amountof the filament fiber and the amount of the synthetic fiber together maymake up greater than 50%, at least 60%, at least 70%, at least 80%, atleast 90%, at least 95%, or even up to 100% by weight of the compositeyarn.

The recycled synthetic fiber includes at least a portion of recycledpolymer. In some cases the synthetic fiber includes from 50% to 100%,from 60% to 100%, from 60% to 100%, from 70% to 100%, from 80% to 100%,or from 90% to 100% by weight of the recycled polymer. When thesynthetic fiber includes less than 100% by weight of the recycledpolymer, the recycled polymer may be blended with virgin polymer. Forexample, a polyester fiber such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) mayinclude at least a portion of recycled PET (also referred to as R-PET).When the polyester fiber includes less than 100% by weight R-PET, theR-PET may be blended with virgin PET (also referred to as V-PET).Polymers may be recycled by a physical process involving pellet formingand extrusion. Polymers may also be recycled by a chemical process inwhich the polymer is decomposed into depolymerized oligomers.

FIG. 2 shows an additional example of a composite yarn 200 having afilament wrapped core structure. The composite yarn 200 includesmultiple filament fibers 218 wrapped around a core 215. In the exampleof FIG. 2, the core 215 includes a fiber blend 210 which includes twodifferent types of staple fiber, a fiber 212 and a fiber 216. Thecomposite yarn 200 may have a linear density and other physicalproperties similar to those described for the composite yarn 100 and thefilament fibers 218 and the filament strand 217 may have compositionsand physical properties similar to those described for the filamentfibers 118 and the filament strand 117. For brevity, those details arenot repeated here.

As shown in FIG. 2, the core 215 of the yarn 200 includes a fiber blend210 including two different types of fibers, a first fiber 212, which isan organic fiber, and a second fiber 216, which is different from thefirst fiber; the second fiber may also be organic in many embodiments.The first fiber 212 and second fiber 216 may be in staple form.

For example, the first fiber 212 may include a wool fiber, such as amerino wool fiber. The wool fiber may have similar physical propertiesto the wool fiber previously described with respect to the core 115 and,for brevity, that description is not repeated here. In some embodiments,the second fiber 216 may be an organic staple fiber different from thefirst fiber 212. As an example, the second fiber 216 may be acellulose-based staple fiber such as a lyocell staple fiber. In someembodiments, the cellulose-based fiber has a linear density from 1 dTexto 3 dTex. For example, the amount of the wool fiber may be at least40%, 50%, 60%, or 70% by weight of the core 215. In some embodiments,the amount of the wool fiber is greater than or equal to the amount ofthe cellulose-based staple fiber and the composite yarn 200 maypredominantly include the wool fiber. The amount of the wool fiber andthe amount of the cellulose-based staple fiber together may make up atleast 80%, 90%, or 95% by weight of the core 215.

Alternately, the second fiber 216 may be a synthetic fiber in stapleform. For example, the synthetic fiber may include one or more of anylon fiber, a polyester fiber, an acrylic fiber, and the like. Thesynthetic fiber may be a recycled polyester fiber, a recycled nylonfiber, and the like or may be a virgin synthetic fiber. The syntheticfiber (recycled or virgin) may have a composition and/or a physicalproperty that is similar to that of the recycled synthetic fiberpreviously described with respect to the core 115 and, for brevity, thatdescription is not repeated here. For example, the amount of the woolfiber may be at least 40%, 50%, 60%, or 70% by weight of the core 215and in some cases the amount of the wool fiber may be greater than orequal to the amount of the synthetic fiber. As another example, theamount of the synthetic fiber may be at least 40%, 50%, 60%, or 70% byweight of the core 215. The amount of the wool fiber and the amount ofthe synthetic fiber together may make up at least 80%, 90%, or 95% byweight of the core 215.

In additional cases, the first fiber 212 may include a cellulose-basedfiber and the second fiber 216 may include a different cellulose-basedfiber or a synthetic fiber. For example, the first fiber 212 may be aregenerated cellulose-based fiber, such as a lyocell staple fiber, andthe second fiber 216 may be a bast fiber, such as a hemp staple fiber ora linen staple fiber (or vice versa). The cellulose-based fibers mayhave a composition and/or a physical property that is similar to that ofthe cellulose-based fibers previously described with respect to the core115 and, for brevity, that description is not repeated here.

The example of FIG. 2 shows a core 215 including two different types offiber. In additional examples, the core may include a blend of more thantwo types of fiber. For example, the core may include a blend of a woolfiber, a cellulose-based staple fiber, and a synthetic fiber. The amountof the synthetic fiber may be less than that of the wool fiber and thecellulose-based fiber. In a further example, the core may have aninterior region including an elastomeric filament, such as a spandexfilament, in a similar fashion as described with respect to FIG. 3. Forbrevity, that description is not repeated here.

In some embodiments, the yarn may be made of the following fibers: 48%lyocell; 21% wool; 15% nylon (including recycled nylon); 7% polyester(including recycled polyester); and 2% spandex. In other embodiments,the yarn may be made of the following fibers: 47% lyocell; 21% wool, 18%nylon (including recycled nylon, such as 17% recycled nylon and 1%unrecycled nylon); 12% polyester (including recycled polyester, such as6% recycled polyester and 6% unrecycled polyester); and 2% spandex. Instill other embodiments, the yarn may be made of the following fibers:50% lyocell; 22% wool; 18% nylon (including recycled nylon, such as 17%recycled nylon and 1% unrecycled nylon); 8% polyester (includingunrecycled polyester, such as 4% recycled polyester and 4% unrecycledpolyester); and 2% spandex. It should be appreciated that thepercentages given may be by weight, density, volume, or any otherappropriate characteristic (as may any set of percentages discussedherein). Further, although particular percentages have been provided, itshould be understood that any or all of the above percentages, withrespect to any of the embodiments, may vary by as much as 3% in eitherdirection in absolute terms, or by as much as 20% in relative terms.“Absolute terms” refers to the percentage as a portion of the fullmakeup of the yarn; thus, if a fiber is given as 21% of a fiber in oneexample and varies by 3% in absolute terms, it may be as little as 18%or as much as 24% of a yarn in various embodiments. “Relative terms”refers to a percentage of the material making up the yarn; thus, giventhe same fiber that is 21% of a yarn, it may be as little as 16.8% or asmuch as 25.2% of the yarn in relative terms (e.g., 80% or 21% or 120% of21%). Variations in percentages may occur during manufacturing, or maybe a result of changing a fiber's constituent elements to providedifferent material properties, such as stretch, tensile strength,resistance to damage, breathability, and so on.

It should be appreciated that the ranges disclosed herein, as well asthe combination of various fibers in a yarn, provide unique and unusualbenefits for yarns. For example, the use of recycled fibers in yarns(and, in particular, in yarns for clothing, shoes, and the like) in theamounts shown is unusual and difficult to achieve. The percentages andranges given for the combination of organic fibers (such as wool) andother fibers (such as lyocell, nylon, polyester, spandex, and the like)may result in a recyclable fiber and/or a fiber that is relativelydurable, breathable, and/or resistant to wear while not being brittle,shearable, or separable, as opposed to other fiber blends used to formyarns.

In some cases the composite yarn includes a cellulose-based filament orfilament twisted with a strand including an organic fiber, a recycledsynthetic fiber, or a combination thereof. The cellulose-based filamentor cellulose-based filament strand may have one or more properties whichare similar to those of the cellulose-based filament or cellulose-basedfilament strands described with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2. The strandincluding an organic fiber, a recycled synthetic fiber, or a combinationthereof may have one or more properties which are similar to those ofstrand(s) used to form the cores described with respect to FIGS. 1 and2. For brevity, the description provided with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2is not repeated here.

FIG. 3 schematically shows a composite yarn 300. The composite yarn 300has a core-sheath structure including a core 310 and a sheath 320. Insome embodiments, the composite yarn has a linear density from 50 dTexto 1000 dTex (100 Tex), from 50 dTex to 200 dTex, from 100 dTex to 500dTex, or from 250 dTex to 1000 dTex. A standard method test method, suchas an ASTM test method, may be used to determine the linear density ofthe fibers and the yarns described herein.

In the example of FIG. 3, the core 310 includes a cellulose-basedfilament. The cellulose-based filament may be a regenerated cellulosefilament, such as a lyocell filament. The core may include a singlecellulose-based filament or multiple cellulose-based filaments. Theindividual filaments of the core 310, such as lyocell filaments, mayhave a linear density from 1 dTex to 10 dTex, from 1 dTex to 5 dTex,from 1 dTex to 3 dTex, from 5 dTex to 25 dTex, from 10 dTex to 30 dTex,or 10 dTex to 50 dTex. The core may include a fewer number of fiberswhen each filament has a higher linear density. The filament(s) of thecore 310 may provide at least 2% and up to 5%, 10%, or 15% of the yarnwhile the fibers of the sheath 320 may make up the remainder of theyarn.

In some cases, the core 310 may also include a synthetic filament, suchas a recycled synthetic filament or an elastomer fiber (recycled orvirgin). For example, the core 310 may include one or more syntheticelastomer fibers, such as spandex or elastane filament fibers. Theelastomer fiber may be a polyurethane elastomer (e.g., a segmentedpolyurethane elastomer), a cross-linked polyacrylate, or a combinationof a polyurethane elastomer with another polymer, such as nylon. In somecases, the spandex fiber may be a bio-based spandex or a post-industrialrecycled spandex. The amount of the elastomer filament may be from 1% toless than 10% by weight, from 1% to 8% by weight, or from 2% to 7% byweight of the core or of the yarn. The core may also include a recycledsynthetic filament which is not substantially elastomeric, such as arecycled nylon filament.

Typically, the sheath 320 includes fibers in staple form which areintimately mixed and interlocked. Typically, the staple fibers aretwisted around the core 310. When the filaments in the core are twisted,the staple fibers may be twisted in the opposite direction. The sheathmay be formed around the core using a core spinning technique, such as aring spinning technique or a friction spinning technique. However, otherspinning techniques, such as rotor spinning techniques, air jettechniques, and the like may also be used.

The sheath 320 typically includes one or more organic fibers. The sheathmay also include a synthetic fiber in staple form, although this is notnecessary nor present in all embodiments. In some embodiments, theamount of the synthetic fiber(s) in the sheath is less than that of theorganic fiber(s), so that the sheath predominantly includes organicfibers. For example, the amount of the synthetic fiber may be less thanor equal to 40%, 30%, 20%, 10%, or 5% by weight of the sheath fibers. Asexamples, the synthetic fiber may include one or more of nylon,polyester, acrylic, and the like.

FIG. 3 shows composite yarn 300 as having a single ply. In additionalexamples, the composite yarns include multiple plies. For example,multiple plies may be twisted together to obtain a desired yarnthickness, linear density, and/or mechanical property. The yarn 300 maybe used to form a textile by a weaving or knitting operation and theyarn properties may be adjusted for the particular weaving or knittingoperation.

FIG. 4 shows a detail view of the sheath 420 of the yarn 400, which isan example of detail region 1-1 of the yarn 300 of FIG. 3. As shown inFIG. 4, the sheath 420 of the yarn 400 includes a blend of two differenttypes of fibers, a first fiber 412, which is an organic fiber, and asecond fiber 416, which is different from the first fiber; the secondfiber may also be organic in many embodiments. The first fiber 412 andsecond fiber 416 may be in staple form.

For example, the first fiber 412 may include a wool fiber, such as amerino wool fiber. The wool fiber may have an average diameter less than24 microns, less than 20 microns, or even less than or equal to 17.5microns.

In some embodiments, the second fiber 416 may be an organic staple fiberdifferent from the first fiber 412. As an example, the second fiber 416may be a cellulose-based staple fiber such as a lyocell staple fiber. Insome embodiments, the cellulose-based fibers have a linear density from1 dTex to 3 dTex. For example, the amount of a wool fiber may be atleast 40%, 50%, 60%, or 70% by weight of the sheath 420. The amount ofthe wool fiber may be greater than or equal to the amount of thecellulose-based staple fiber or the amount of the cellulose-based staplefiber may be greater than or equal to the amount of the wool staplefiber. The amount of the wool fiber and the amount of thecellulose-based staple fiber together may make up at least 80%, 90%, or95% by weight of the sheath.

Alternately, the second fiber 416 may be a synthetic fiber in stapleform. For example, the synthetic fiber may include one or more of anylon fiber, a polyester fiber, an acrylic fiber, and the like. Thesynthetic fiber may be a recycled synthetic fiber. In some embodiments,the synthetic fiber has a linear density from 1 dTex to 5 dTex. Forexample, the amount of the wool fiber may be at least 40%, 50%, 60%, or70% by weight of the sheath. In some cases, the amount of the wool fibermay be greater than or equal to the amount of the synthetic fiber. Theamount of the wool fiber and the amount of the synthetic fiber togethermake up at least 80%, 90%, or 95% by weight of the sheath.

In some embodiments, the yarn may be made of the following fibers: 48%lyocell; 21% wool; 15% nylon (including recycled nylon); 7% polyester(including recycled polyester); and 2% spandex. In other embodiments,the yarn may be made of the following fibers: 47% lyocell; 21% wool, 18%nylon (including recycled nylon, such as 17% recycled nylon and 1%unrecycled nylon); 12% polyester (including recycled polyester, such as6% recycled polyester and 6% unrecycled polyester); and 2% spandex. Instill other embodiments, the yarn may be made of the following fibers:50% lyocell; 22% wool; 18% nylon (including recycled nylon, such as 17%recycled nylon and 1% unrecycled nylon); 8% polyester (includingunrecycled polyester, such as 4% recycled polyester and 4% unrecycledpolyester); and 2% spandex. It should be appreciated that thepercentages given may be by weight, density, volume, or any otherappropriate characteristic (as may any set of percentages discussedherein).

FIG. 5 shows an example of the composite yarn of FIG. 3, with a portionof the yarn 500 cut away to show the core 510 and the sheath 520. Forthe purposes of illustration, the core 510 is shown as forming asubstantial portion of the composite yarn. However, the example of FIG.5 is not limiting and the core may form 50% or less, 40% or less, 30% orless, 25% or less, 20% or less, 15% or less, or 10% or less by weight ofthe yarn.

As shown in FIG. 5, the sheath 520 substantially covers the core 510.However, it is not necessary that the sheath completely cover the core.For example, the coverage of the core by the sheath may be from 70% to100%, from 80% to 100%, or from 90% to 100%. The level of coverage maybe determined using an image analysis technique. Substantially centralplacement of the core 510 within the sheath 520, as shown in FIG. 5, canfacilitate coverage of the core 510 by the sheath 520.

The core 510 may include a cellulose-based filament as previouslydescribed with respect to FIG. 3. In some embodiments, the core 510 mayhave a linear density from 25 dTex to 150 dTex and may include multiplecellulose-based filaments. The individual filaments, such as lyocellfilaments, may have a linear density from 1 dTex to 10 dTex, from 1 dTexto 5 dTex, from 1 dTex to 3 dTex, from 5 dTex to 25 dTex, from 10 dTexto 30 dTex, or 10 dTex to 50 dTex. The cellulose-based filaments in thecore may be twisted together.

In some cases, the core 510 may include a synthetic filament, such as arecycled synthetic filament or an elastomer fiber (recycled or virgin).The discussion of recycled synthetic filaments and elastomer fibersprovided with respect to FIG. 3 is generally applicable herein and, forbrevity, is not repeated here.

FIG. 6 shows an additional example of composite yarn 600 having acore-sheath structure. The core 610 includes multiple cellulose-basedfilaments 618. The sheath 620 includes organic fibers 622, such as woolfibers. As schematically shown in FIG. 6, the organic fibers 622 aregenerally twisted around the core 610 but some of the ends of theorganic fibers 622 may project outward from a central portion of thecore. The organic fibers 622 may be staple fibers. As previouslydiscussed, in some cases the sheath may include at least two differenttypes of fibers, with the first type of fiber being a wool fiber and thesecond type of fiber being a different organic fiber or a syntheticfiber. The cellulose-based filaments 618 of core 610 and the organicfibers 622 of the sheath 620 may be similar in composition, lineardensity, and other physical properties to the cellulose based filamentsand the organic fibers previously described with respect to FIGS. 4 and5 and, for brevity, that description is not repeated here.

The composite yarns described herein can be used to form woven orknitted textiles. The textile may be formed solely from the compositeyarns of the present disclosure or may be formed from a combination ofthe composite yarns with one or more additional yarns. In someembodiments, the additional yarn may have a size comparable to or lessthan that of the composite yarn. Knitted (or knit) textiles have aknitted (or knit) structure which includes intermeshed loops.

As previously discussed, the composite yarns described herein may allowthe production of finely knit textiles. For example, these compositeyarns can be knitted on knitting machines having at least 30 needles perinch (30 gauge) and up to and including 48 needles per inch (48 gauge).The knitted structure (or knit structure) of the textile may bedescribed by the gauge (e.g., 30 gauge to 48 gauge) or alternately bythe stitch density. The knit textile may be formed by a weft knitting orby a warp knitting process.

The knitted textiles may have a stretch property such as two-way stretch(extending in one direction), four-way stretch (extending in crosswiseand lengthwise directions), or equal stretch in all directions. Forexample, the textile may have a stretch property due to the knittedstructure, such as in a single or double jersey. In addition, thetextile may have a stretch property due to incorporation of elastomericyarns in the textile. The elastomeric yarn may include one or moresynthetic elastomer filaments, such as spandex or elastane filaments.The elastomer filament may be a polyurethane elastomer (e.g., asegmented polyurethane elastomer), a cross-linked polyacrylate, or acombination of a polyurethane elastomer with another polymer, such asnylon. In some embodiments, the elastomeric yarn may be a “bare”elastomer yarn, such as a spandex yarn. In additional embodiments, theelastomeric yarn may be a covered yarn having a core including anelastomeric filament and a sheath including an organic fiber, asynthetic fiber, or a combination thereof.

In some embodiments, all or a portion of the textile may be made of thefollowing fibers: 48% lyocell; 21% wool; 15% nylon (including recyclednylon); 7% polyester (including recycled polyester); and 2% spandex. Inother embodiments, all or a portion of the textile may be made of thefollowing fibers: 47% lyocell; 21% wool, 18% nylon (including recyclednylon, such as 17% recycled nylon and 1% unrecycled nylon); 12%polyester (including recycled polyester, such as 6% recycled polyesterand 6% unrecycled polyester); and 2% spandex. In still otherembodiments, all or a portion of the textile may be made of thefollowing fibers: 50% lyocell; 22% wool; 18% nylon (including recyclednylon, such as 17% recycled nylon and 1% unrecycled nylon); 8% polyester(including unrecycled polyester, such as 4% recycled polyester and 4%unrecycled polyester); and 2% spandex. It should be appreciated that thepercentages given may be by weight, density, volume, or any otherappropriate characteristic (as may any set of percentages discussedherein).

The disclosure also provides articles formed from the textiles disclosedherein. For example, the textiles may be included in a clothing article.A clothing article may be a garment, such as a shirt, a pair of pants, apair of leggings, a sweatshirt, a jacket, socks, and the like. Aclothing article may also be an undergarment, such as a pair ofunderwear or a bra. Clothing articles, such as garments orundergarments, may be suitable for use as activewear or sportswear. Thetextiles may also be included in a footwear article, such as a shoe.

The textiles disclosed herein may also be included in other types ofarticles. For example, the textile may be included in an accessory, suchas a tote bag, handbag, or drawstring bag. Further, the textile may beincluded in a household good, such as a sheet, a bath towel, a dishtowel, a tablecloth, an upholstered furniture article, and the like.

FIG. 7 shows an example of a shoe 700 including a composite yarn asdescribed herein. The composite yarn is included in knitted textile 760.Shoe 700 can have a greater percentage of renewably sourced materialsthan some conventional shoes due to the high percentage of organicfibers and filaments in the composite yarn. In addition, the shoe 700can have a desirable appearance, “feel,” and so forth due to the organicfiber(s) in the sheath of the composite yarn.

As shown in FIG. 7, the knitted textile 760 is included in the upper 710of the shoe 700. In additional examples, the knitted textile 760 may beincluded in other parts of the shoe 700, such as the tongue 730 or theliner 770. As shown in FIG. 7, the shoe 700 also includes a sole 720,eyelets 740, and a lace 750.

FIG. 8 shows an example of a pair of leggings 800 which includes acomposite yarn as described herein. The composite yarn is included in atextile 860 having a knitted structure. The textile 860 has a stretchproperty due to the knitted structure. In some embodiments, the knittedstructure includes an elastomeric yarn in addition to the compositeyarn.

The textile 860 may be finely knit and may have a fine gauge. Theknitted structure of textile 860 can help provide durability to theleggings 800. In addition, the knitted structure of textile 860 canmaintain opacity (e.g., prevent “show-through”) in areas which may bestressed by the movement or position of a wearer, such as the knees orthe seat of the leggings 800.

Leggings including the composite yarns disclosed herein can have agreater percentage of renewably sourced materials than some conventionalleggings which are knit wholly from synthetic yarns. Therefore, leggingsincluding the textiles disclosed herein can have a reduced environmentalimpact as compared to some conventional leggings. In addition, theleggings 800 can have the desirable appearance, “feel,” and so forth dueto the organic fiber(s) in the sheath of the composite yarn. Forexample, wool fibers in the sheath of the composite yarn can givemoisture wicking properties to the leggings.

FIGS. 9A and 9B illustrate sample garments formed from composite yarnsas disclosed herein. In particular, FIGS. 9A and 9B illustrate socksthat may be formed from any of the yarns described herein, includingcombinations of various yarns described herein and/or more conventionalyarns (such as cotton or wool).

FIG. 9A illustrates a low-rise sock 900 including a heel retainingfeature 905, a front retaining feature 910, and an elastic feature 915.Any or all of the body 916 of the sock 900 (e.g., the portion of thesock excluding the heel retaining feature 905 and front retainingfeature 910), the front retaining feature 910, and the heel retainingfeature 905 may be formed from any yarn described herein. Further,different parts of the sock 910 may be formed from different yarns. Asone non-limiting example, the elastic feature 915 may be formed from ayarn including lyocell and wool, but having a greater percentage ofspandex than the rest of the sock 900. Likewise, the heel retainingfeature 905 and/or the front retaining feature 910 may be formed from ayarn having lyocell and wool fibers, but in different percentages, orincluding polyester and/or nylon (whether virgin or recycled) indifferent percentages, than another portion of the sock 900. In thisfashion the heel retaining feature 905 and front retaining feature 910may be more durable, less (or more) stretchable, or otherwise havedifferent material properties than other parts of the sock 900. As yetanother example, portions of the sock may have different knit or weavepatterns than other parts of the sock. Different numbers of ends,densities, stitches, or the like may be used to vary material propertieseven if the same yarn is used throughout the sock 900 (or throughoutdifferent portions of the sock, including the retaining features 905,910 and/or elastic feature 915). As one non-limiting example, the knitor weave of the sock may vary in the elastic feature 915 as opposed tothe rest of the sock in order to increase stretch in the elasticfeature, thereby enhancing the ability of the sock to remain in place ona wearer's foot without unduly shifting.

FIG. 9B illustrates another example sock 920 that may be formed from anysuitable yarn described herein, or a combination of yarns describedherein, or one or more yarns described herein and one or more of wool,cotton, and/or lyocell yarns. The sock 920 includes a calf retainingfeature 925, a heel 930, and an elastic portion 935. Here, the calfretaining feature 925 may be similar in composition, structure, and/orother facets of construction as either the front retaining feature 910and/or heel retaining feature 905 of the sock 900 illustrated in FIG. 9ALikewise, the body 940 of the sock 920 may be made of the same orsimilar yarn as the body 916 of the sock 900 and the elastic portion 935may be similar in composition, structure, or the like to the elasticportion 915 of FIG. 9A.

The calf retaining feature 925 may be knitted, woven, or otherwiseformed in such a fashion that an elasticity of the feature 925 isenhanced as compared to a body of the sock 920, thereby permitting thesock 920 to stay “up” while worn. The yarn used to form the calfretaining feature 925 may likewise be the same as that of the body ofthe sock 920, or it may be made of the same or similar fibers indifferent proportions. Typically, however, the yarn itself is the samethroughout the sock 920 (and, for that matter, the sock 900) while theweave or knit pattern varies and/or different yarns are added inparticular areas such as the retaining feature(s).

Likewise, the heel 930 may be reinforced or may be formed from a yarnthat is made from the same fibers as the rest of the sock 920 but indifferent percentages to strengthen the heel relative to the rest of thesock. In some embodiments, however, this is not the case.

In certain embodiments, the yarn used to form the sock 900, 920 may varywith a shape, height, or structure of the sock 900, 920. For example,the sock 900 shown in FIG. 9A may be formed from a yarn having thefollowing fibers in the following percentages: 48% lyocell; 21% wool;15% nylon (including recycled nylon); 8% polyester (including recycledpolyester); and 2% spandex. With respect to the sock 920 shown in FIG.9B, the yarn may be made of the following fibers: 50% lyocell; 22% wool;18% nylon (including recycled nylon, such as 17% recycled nylon and 1%unrecycled nylon); 8% polyester (including unrecycled polyester, such as4% recycled polyester and 4% unrecycled polyester); and 2% spandex. Alow-rise sock may be formed from a yarn made of the following fibers:47% lyocell; 21% wool, 18% nylon (including recycled nylon, such as 17%recycled nylon and 1% unrecycled nylon); 12% polyester (includingrecycled polyester, such as 6% recycled polyester and 6% unrecycledpolyester); and 2% spandex. As mentioned above, the specific percentagesgiven here may be by weight, density, volume, or any other suitablemeasurement. Likewise, although particular percentages have beenprovided, it should be understood that any or all of the abovepercentages, with respect to any of the embodiments, may vary by as muchas 3% in either direction in absolute terms, or by as much as 20% inrelative terms.

Although some of the foregoing embodiments are discussed with respect tocompositions by weight, it should be understood that the samepercentages and ranges may apply to compositions by volume, number, ordensity in other embodiments. This applies to any and all of theembodiments, percentages, and/or ranges disclosed herein.

As used herein, the term “substantially” or “about” is used to accountfor relatively small variations, such as a variation of +/−10%, +/−5%,+/−2%, or +/−1%. The term “substantially free” may indicate an amount of10% or less, 5% or less, 2% or less, or 1% or less of the elementspecified. In addition, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” includethe plural form unless the context dictates otherwise.

As used herein, the phrase “one or more of” preceding a series of items,with the term “and” or “or” to separate any of the items, modifies thelist as a whole, rather than each member of the list. The phrase “one ormore of” does not require selection of at least one of each item listed;rather, the phrase allows a meaning that includes at a minimum one ofany of the items, and/or at a minimum one of any combination of theitems, and/or at a minimum one of each of the items. By way of example,the phrases “one or more of A, B, and C” or “one or more of A, B, or C”each refer to only A, only B, or only C; any combination of A, B, and C;and/or one or more of each of A, B, and C. Similarly, it may beappreciated that an order of elements presented for a conjunctive ordisjunctive list provided herein should not be construed as limiting thedisclosure to only that order provided.

The foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, used specificnomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the describedembodiments. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art thatthe specific details are not required in order to practice the describedembodiments. Thus, the foregoing descriptions of the specificembodiments described herein are presented for purposes of illustrationand description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit theembodiments to the precise forms disclosed. It will be apparent to oneof ordinary skill in the art that many modifications and variations arepossible in view of the above teachings.

What is claimed is:
 1. A composite yarn comprising: a core including awool fiber, a regenerated cellulose staple fiber, a bast fiber, arecycled synthetic fiber, or a combination thereof; and a regeneratedcellulose filament at least partially surrounding the core.
 2. Thecomposite yarn of claim 1, wherein the regenerated cellulose filament isa lyocell filament and the composite yarn comprises: from about 60% toabout 85% by weight of the wool fiber; and from about 15% to about 40%by weight of the lyocell filament.
 3. The composite yarn of claim 1,wherein the wool fiber has an average diameter less than 20 microns. 4.The composite yarn of claim 1, wherein the regenerated cellulosefilament is a lyocell filament and the composite yarn comprises: fromabout 40% to about 60% by weight of the regenerated cellulose staplefiber, the bast fiber, or a combination thereof; and from about 60% toabout 40% by weight of the lyocell filament.
 5. The composite yarn ofclaim 4, wherein the composite yarn comprises a lyocell staple fiber. 6.The composite yarn of claim 1, wherein the regenerated cellulosefilament is a lyocell filament and the composite yarn comprises: fromabout 40% to about 60% by weight of a recycled polyester staple fiber;and from about 60% to about 40% by weight of the lyocell filament. 7.The composite yarn of claim 1, wherein: the composite yarn comprises afilament strand including multiple lyocell filaments wrapped around thecore; and the filament strand has a linear density from 25 dTex to 160dTex.
 8. The composite yarn of claim 7, wherein the filament strandincludes from 25 to 100 filaments.
 9. The composite yarn of claim 1,having a metric yarn number from about 25 to about
 100. 10. A textilecomprising the composite yarn of claim
 1. 11. An article comprising thetextile of claim 10 and selected from a clothing article, a footweararticle, or an accessory article.
 12. The article of claim 11, wherein:the textile has a knitted structure; and the article is selected from asock, an undergarment, or a pair of leggings.
 13. A composite yarncomprising: a core including at least one regenerated cellulosefilament; and a sheath at least partially surrounding the core andincluding an organic fiber.
 14. The composite yarn of claim 13, whereinthe organic fiber is a wool fiber having an average diameter less than20 microns.
 15. The composite yarn of claim 14, wherein the sheathcomprises at least 70% by weight of the wool fiber.
 16. The compositeyarn of claim 13, wherein the at least one regenerated cellulosefilament is a lyocell filament.
 17. The composite yarn of claim 13,wherein the core has a linear density from 25 dTex to 100 dTex.
 18. Atextile comprising the composite yarn of claim
 13. 19. An articlecomprising the textile of claim 18 and selected from a clothing article,a footwear article, or an accessory article.
 20. The article of claim19, wherein: the textile has a knitted structure; and the article isselected from a sock, an undergarment, or a pair of leggings.